Automatic electric igniter



LSEGMQE Aug. 118,, BEBE.

' 1F. R. EELKHN AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC IGNITER Filed March 26. 192

lm 19. S'EuH/V INVENTOR BY gall/) A TTORNEY Patented Aug, 18, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

FELIX R. BELKTN OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC ntncrnrc lemma.

Application filed March 26, 1921. Serial No. 702,027.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known thatI, FELIX R. BELKIN, citizen of Russia, and resident of Brookl n,

in the county of Kings and State of 'ew York,- have"ini ented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Electric Igniters, of which the following is a speclfication.

My invention relates to electric apparatus for igniting the combustible mixture in gas or liquid-burners. v

Theobject' of my invention is to provide an' apparatus' which would automatically ignite the combustible mixture by means of; an electric spark when the handle of a mixture admitting valve is turned to an operative position.

I also provide a means to render the electrio circuit inoperative during the time when the valve handle is being turned back so as to close the valve for the combustible mixture.

In-order to render the operation of my device more certaln I arrange for a series of successive sparks to be produced at theelectrodes during the time when the valve handle is being moved.

.My invention is more fully described in the. accompanying specification and draw ing in which- Fig. 1 is aplan view of my device in connection with a multiple gas burner, the electric circuit being shown diagrammatically. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the electric con tacts shown partly in section, Fig' 3 1s an.

end view of same, Fig. 4: is an enlarged sectional view of the burner with electrodes, and Fig. 5 is] a modified arrangement of sparking points especially adapted for bumers developing temperature, the electrodes being movable and electrically operated.

My automatic igniter consists of sparking points 1 and 2, points 1 being directly 'con-" nected tothe metal body of the burner 36 and attached by means of clamping screws 4. The'points 2. are insulated from the burner by means of heavy insulation 5 adapted to withstand high temperatures and a high voltage. -For instance, it may be made of asbestoswith rubber or ozokerite inside. The points 2 may" be simply formed as the ends of'the'cables 6. g I

Thesecables 6 extend from contact points 7 placed on an insulating block .8 in a switch box 9 and arranged in a circle around the center of apin 10. -A cylinder 11 is rota-' t1vely mounted on the pin 10 and is pro vided with a lug 12 supportin an insulation 'block 13', This block is provided with a high tension .contact brush 14. This brush is adapted to touch the high tension contact points which are individual for each is arking'point, connecting these contact polnts 7 with a common contact plate 15. -A cable 16 connects this contact plate with one end of a high tension or secondary coil 17 The other end of the 'insulation block 13 is provided with a low tension brush 18 adapted to touchsucessively low tension contact points 19', connecting them with a common low tension contact plate 20. A lead 21 connects this contact plate with one end of a low tension or primary coil 22.

The other ends of the coils 17 and 22 may be connected together having a common lead.v

23 to a ounding point 24 011 a burner 36. This lead 23 'is also connected with one pole of a battery (or similar source of theelectric current) 26. The other terminal of this battery is connected with the common contact plate 20 by means of a lead 25.

The insulation block 8 is attached to the bottom of the switch box 9 which is supported on a valve 27 which controls the flow of a fuel to theburner. The valve handle 28 .29 on the cylinder 11. This lug 29 is pivotally mounted on a pin 30 and is supported underneath with a short lug 31.

'A second lug 32 is provided on the valve handle 28 in order to produce a second series of sparks when the valve handle is movedv towards opening the valve.- If necesary, of course, three or four of. such repeating lugs may be used. A retrievin spring 33'is adapted to move the contact cy 'nder 11 into an inoperative position. y I

A plpe 34 leads the fuel to the valve. A pipe 35 connects the valve with the burner 36-which may consist of a series of concentric tubes with narrow slits 37 from which the other.

I prefer to make the apertures 37 intake form of narrow slits in order to reduce the spark gap between the points 1 and 2. This enables me to use a moderate voltage for a secondary circuit, reducing also the flame temperature at the spark gap thereby extending the life of the sparking points 1 and 2. 'The'operation of my device is as follows. By moving the handle 28 the valve 27 is opened, and the gas or similar combustible mixture is admitted to the burner 36. The lug 29 comes in a contact with the lug 29 turning the cylinder 11 and moving the'contact brushes 14 and 18.

Thebrush 14 comes in a contact with the contact point 7 and with the plate 15 thereclosing the high tension circuitfrom the I coil 17 through the spark gap 1-2. The low simply raise the lug 29f tension or primary circuit is closed. at the same,tin1e from the source of current 26- through the primary coil 22 when the brush 18 comes in a contact with the first low tension contact point 19 and aplate 20.

The contact points 19 are made in the form of springs, and the primary circuit is quickly broken with the further movement of the brushes. The interruption of the primary circuit causes a secondary or high tension current to be induced in the coil 17 and this current is discharged in the form of a spark through the first spark gap. The nearest jet of gas, is then ignited, the flame rapidly communicating also to allthe other ets. i 1 With the further movement of the handle 28 the primary current is again closed and interrupted onthe second contact point 19, thereby sending a secondary discharge through the second high tension contact point and into the second spark gap. In this manner the combustible mixture will/be ignited if it failed to catch fire, from the first spark;

' A third spark may be set with the further handle movement. Then the lugs 29 and 29 become separated, and the retrieving spring 33 moves the contacts back, causing again one or more sparks to be produced, until the second lug 32 gets in contact with the lug 29 and begins to turn the cylinder 11 with the contact brushes. More sparks will be produced accordingly rendering the gas ignition absolutely certain.

When'the handle 28ismoved back to close the valve, then the lugs 29 and 32 on 'itspivot without moving the'cylinder 11, so that no sparks will be produced when they This arrangement is made in order to economize in the current consum tion.

Fig. 5 represents a'modi ed arrangement of thespark gap which'is used in cases when the flame is very hot, like in liquid fuel; burners, or when the burner aperture is large jump between are not needed.-

The gap points 1 and 2 are attached to insulation blocks 39 pivotally mounted on pins 40. A spring 41 keeps the ga pomts separated and away from the hig tension contacts 42.

An iron'armature 43 is attached to the blocks 39 on links 44 and is adapted to be actuated by an electromagnet 45 which is included in the primary circuit in the lead 21.

With this arrangement every time when the primary circuit is closed, the magnet 45 attracts the armature thereby bringing the gap points in a contact with the lugh tension .points 42 thereby causing the spark to these gap omts 1 and 2. With the circuit interrupts the gap points move apart under action of the spring 41 and away from the flame.

A dash pot 46 may be connected with one of the blocks 39 with a plunger 47 on the other in order to retard the movements of the gap points.

Im ortant advantages of my automatic electric igniter are that it is adapted to ignite the fuel in a burner automatically and every time when the fuel admitting valve is opened, thereby eliminating a danger of an accidental openin of the valve when the fuel is not lights for instance as it may happen in an ordinary gas. stove with the children playing near it. With my arrangement the valve cannot be opened without igniting the fuel at the same time. The ignition is also made positive for practical y all degrees of opening of the valve.

I claim as myinvention:

1. In an automatic electric igniter, the combination with a burner, fuel nozzles on said burner, a plurality of electrodes on sai burner ina cooperative relation with said nozzles, avalve adapted to control the fuel admission to said burner, an induction coil, leads connecting. said coil with said electrodes, a pluralit of contact points formed between said lea s, a sliding contact brush adapted to engage said contact points, a rotatively mounted c linder supporting said sliding contact brush, a handle on said valve a plurality of lugs on said valve adapted toturn said cylin er when said valve is bein opened, a retrieving spring for said cylin er, and means-to prevent the movement of said cylinder when said valve is being valve-adapted "to control the fuel admission ,to said burnenan vinduction coil having1 a pr mary and-a seconolar winding, a p urahty of contacts for ear primary winding,

a plurality ct contacts for said secondary winding, and means to successively close 1% said primary and said secondary contacts, said means being controlled by the movement of said fuel valve.

3. In an automatic electric igniter, the combination with a burner, fuel nozzles on said burner, a plurality of electrodes in a cooperative relation. with said nozzles, a valve adapted to control the fuel admission to said burner, an induction coil having a primary and a secondar winding, a plurality of contacts for sai primary and said means to operate sai secondary windings, a sliding member adapted to successivel close said contacts,

sliding member b said valve when said valve is being opene a retrieving means for said sliding member, and means to render said sliding member inoperative When said Valve is being closed.

Signed at borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, 20

this 22 day of March, A. D. 1924.

FELIX R. BELKIZN. 

